Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 27 Dec 2003 to 28 Dec 2003 (#2003-299) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 29/12/2003, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 4 messages totalling 415 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. The Olympian Conspiracy (1 of 4) 2. The Olympian Conspiracy (2 of 4) 3. The Olympian Conspiracy (4 of 4) 4. The Olympian Conspiracy (epilogue) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:56:37 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: The Olympian Conspiracy (1 of 4) Hail Mystarans! This is the product of my musings on the Immortals of Mystara. I always liked the Immortal level adventure modules, even if they were sometimes weird and even cheezy. It's a shame that they neve came out with more of them. Although as adventures feating Immortals go, the one that's a "Mystara-nized" rip-off of Homer's Odyssey (but not one of the IM series) was probably the best. "The Wrath of Olympus" module was also a fine bit of work, but it just so didn't fit in with the entire Mystaran cosmology. "Wrath of the Immortals" took some steps to reconcile all that. Here is my contribution on how the Immortals became the Olympian gods. Kit Navarro Mystaran Mythologer and Immortal Candidate P.S. One concept I really love about Mystaran Immortals is how they have different names/identities to match the appropriate culture. I mention a few of my ideas on Valerias about this in Part I. ========== The Mystaran Conspiracy Part I One Valerias Too Many. Where the Immortal Valerias discovers the lustful plot of Eiryndul and shames the beauteous Initiate Kythria In his golden brilliance, Ixion the Sun-Prince grandly paraded through the Dome of Energy on Pandius. All the gathered Immortals of Energy yielded in instinctive deference-if not sincere obeisance-to the reigning Hierarch of the Sphere of Energy. The ofttimes chaotic Immortals of Energy were silenced when Ixion passed them. It was not just because of his beaming smile or his radiant godhead. But also, the Immortals were greeted by the wafting of the most pleasant and sensuous of fragrances, reminiscent of the heady odor of fully-blossomed roses basking in the heat of the summer sun. For at Ixion's side was his mate, the Immortal Valerias, the Patroness of Romance, Passion, and Beauty. Valerias had a mien and demeanor as regal as the Sun-Prince's. She was arguably the most beautiful of Immortals on Pandius, and undoubtedly one of the most powerful. A full-fledged Hierarch from the Sphere of Matter, Valerias was perhaps the only Immortal of the rival spheres who regularly graced the Dome of Energy without comment from the otherwise outspoken, hot-tempered Immortals of Energy. Valerias liked to believe that this was because her divine beauty had a universal appeal, that the love of all beings for her Immortal being was boundless. But Valerias knew her own power and rank in Pandius-and her association with the ruling Hierarch of Energy-had much to do with the warmth of the welcome of those Immortal halls. Ixion and his consort continued their promenade. To his admirers, the Sun-Prince beamed his radiant smile. To his constituents, he nodded his handsome head haloed in flames. To his allies, he would offer a blazing outstretched hand in the warmest of handshakes. But all of a sudden, his golden-skinned perfectly sculpted muscular arm was jerked back almost violently, when Valerias had stopped dead in her tracks and pulled him back. Ixion turned back at his mate, who was rigid where she stood, her entire form crimson with rage, as deep as a rose that was her sacred flower, her eyes transfixed on an Immortal of Energy curtsying before her. The Immortal was a female, lithe in build and blithe in movement. Her head was crowned by a wreath of rainbow-colored hibiscus blossoms and was bowed down deeply, revealing only hints of her beauteous features. Her shiny black hair was reminiscent of volcanic obsidian glass, and the tresses flowed down the sides of her hidden face onto supple shoulders of smooth coconut-brown skin. A lei of tropical flowers ringed her delicate neck and drapped down onto her otherwise exposed and full bosom. Her loose short skirt, patterned with orchid designs, tied at the waist, and gently dancing to an illusory salty sea breeze, was the only true piece of clothing of this Immortal island beauty. Though Valerias had never before laid her eyes open this particular Immortal of Energy in the great halls of Pandius, in her Immortal mind, Valerias recognized Kythria for who she was at that moment and from her life before. As a mortal, Kythria was the most celebrated beauty of the Makai natives and her legend had spread all across the Known World. Those who journeyed far to her island home in Ierendi discovered the accounts of her beauty were agonizingly lacking. However, they deemed their mortal lives were inestimably blessed when they felt firsthand her grace, her charm, her zest for live, and her boundless love. It came as no surprise that Kythria was also a priestess of the beauteous Patroness of Romance and Passion, known as Faumea by the Makai, Valalahe by the ancient Minrothad and other island tribes, Erzuli by the Pearl Islanders, and Valerias by the rest of the Known World. In fact, Kythria was so devoted to her Patroness that she began on the Path to Immortality with Valerias as her sponsor. Unfortunately for Kythria, her ultimate undoing was in becoming too much like Valerias-and perhaps in some ways outdoing Valerias in her own games! The reigning Patroness of Passion and Romance became envious of her future rival, and she easily found fault in her mortal petitioner, cruelly and ultimately putting an end to Kythria's quest for Immortality. That was the last that Valerias heard of her former disciple-until this momentous encounter in Pandius. The all-seeing Prince of the Sun saw the utter shock and impassioned rage, the unbridled jealousy and fathomless betrayal in the face of his beautiful lover. In Ixion's Immortal mind, he could already read the explosions of protests, vituperation, indignance, and supplications boiling in Valerias' heart. But as steadily as the noonday sun, Ixion calmly stated: "It was not I who sponsored her into our Sphere." Valerias knew that Ixion, the beau ideal of light, truth, and good, could never lie-and more importantly, Ixion, her steadfast lover and one true love, would never lie to her. But nevertheless Valerias could not accept this grave insult of fate and she turned her attentions back once more to her former worshipper. Kythria had risen from her bow though she kept her face hidden behind the silky curtain of her long bangs. She had begun weeping in silent heaving sobs-sobs that could break the hearts of mortal men and could easily enthrall the hearts of the punier Immortal men. Already, some of the lesser Immortals of Energy had begun to move towards Kythria to comfort her, including the motherly Patura and the brutish Bemarris. But behind Kythria, lovingly holding onto her flawless brown shoulders, emerged an Immortal that Valerias recognized instantly-and that recognition filled Valerias with the utmost disdain and chagrin. It was Eiryndul, that tricky elf Immortal, whose face looked over the shoulders of his beautiful protégé and smiled at Valerias directly, with impishness, impunity, and impertinence! Eiryndul's expression was the mix of a lusty teenage boy on his first romantic escapade and a lecherous old man who had finally quenched a long illicit desire. Valerias stared down the wily Eiryndul. And Eiryndul stared back at Valerias, defiantly and triumphantly. (After all, how many mortals had desired to glimpse what he was seeing!) And at that moment, Valerias realized the author of this Immortal conspiracy! Eiryndul had long desired Valerias, but for all his wiles and Immortal guile, he could never have her. And now, with Kythria, this sniveling yet sultry, pathetic pile of pulchritude, this facsimile of Valerias, Eiryndul found a way to be with her. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:56:52 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: The Olympian Conspiracy (2 of 4) The Olympian Conspiracy Part II Initiates Intrigue Where the Immortals Turmis, Kythria, Patura, and Taroyas plot to tap a secret source of Immortal power "Come on, my pretty, that's the same problem with me and Asterius! I mean, the only Immortal that thieves ever know is him! Because he promotes theft and greed, that's why! No one ever wants to be a thief for the skill of it anymore! They just want the money! No one knows Turmis the Clever, Turmis the Deft and Adept!" The Immortal Turmis looked longingly at the beauteous Kythria, hoping his humor could allay her pain. Instead, Kythria shied away to be comforted by Patura, a motherly Immortal of Energy, who in turn gave Turmis a stern protective glance. The usually witty Turmis turned away, sighing "I can't get anywhere with Asterius, and you with Valerias! This Immortal life stinks!" Buried in the bosom of Patura, Kythria gave a muffled but heartfelt sob. Kythria's despair seemed infectious, as even the regal Patura began to shed a tear in her eye. "One would think," said Patura, in the grave tones of a matriarch, "that the lot of women would improve among the ranks of the Immortals. But the way that Rathanos ridiculed Kythria. the way he laughed. That chauvinist will pay someday!" Turmis glimpsed Patura's stately fingers balled into a shaking fist, and tried to imagine what divine fury was burning in Patura's Immortal soul. Turmis had made her acquaintance through the fact that they were both Thyatian in their mortal lives, but their similarities ended there. Patura was once a Thyatian queen, who deeply lamented the suffering of women in her mortal culture and throughout the Known World. As an Immortal, Patura was majestic and noble, but she could also be nurturing and maternal, particularly to women. And yet, as Turmis later discovered, Patura had a dark side-that once lured her onto the Path of Entropy, so the rumor goes-a bitter, vengeful streak against sexism, male domination, oppressive patriarchy, and masculine powers in general. Turmis found it ironic how Patura could react so fiercely against the prejudice of the Immortal chauvinist Rathanos, but be totally blind-sided as to Valerias' role in the humiliation of poor, beautiful Kythria. But perhaps what was even more ironic was how the zealous Patura had chosen for her mate the laconic (almost boring) Taroyas, an Immortal from the Sphere of Time. All this time, Taroyas had sat silently beside Patura, like an imperious statue or a sovereign enthroned. He and Patura made a regal couple, despite being mere Initiates among the ranks of the Immortals. In fact, both of them were royal personages in their mortal lives. However, Taroyas was once a Milenian, an ancient civilization that rivaled the Thyatians, but like them, were a patriarchal society that greatly prejudiced womankind. As if reading Turmis' mind, Taroyas turned his towards the Immortal thief and met his eyes. Quick to hide the culpability of his thoughts, Turmis unsheathed his silver tongue and said glibly, "And what does his royal eternalness Taroyas have to say of all of this?" Taroyas smiled, with no offence or malice, but rather with the poignancy that only the Immortals of Time can evoke. He replied, "The Sphere of Time grants wisdom that is eternal and timeless, and the Immortals of Time uphold the traditions of this wisdom, sometimes to the very detriment of the Immortals themselves." "By my own fleet feet!" cried Turmis, slapping his forehead, "He speaks like one of them! What did he mean by." Ignoring Turmis, Patura spoke to her mate directly, "There must be a way to change this, Taroyas! If you opine that the leadership of your Sphere is too archaic and stodgy, why cannot you take action to rectify it?" "It is not in my power as a mere Initiate in the Sphe-" "Well, hey, Taroyas, what if we could get more power?" interrupted Turmis, "I mean, what if we could tap into another source of power beyond the reach of the Hierarchs? Then we could show the Asteriuses and Valeriases of Pandius how we want things to be run then!" Taroyas was staring wide-eyed at Turmis. Turmis thought Taroyas was awed by the brilliance of his ideas. (Turmis after all belonged to the Sphere of Thought!) In truth, Taroyas was shocked as no one-not in his past mortal life nor in this Immortal one-has ever interrupted his speaking before! Patura too was surprised by Turmis, but she was equally intrigued by Turmis' ideas. Even Kythria had paused from her Immortal anguish to listen to Turmis ' proposal. "What do you mean, Turmis?" asked Patura, like she was scolding a little boy who had spoken too indiscreetly of a delicate truth. "Yes, tell us," chimed in Kythria, with a voice that sent tingles up Turmis' spine. Emboldened, Turmis blurted out, "Well, I mean, we should let Taroyas explain it really! I mean, after all, he's the one with the access to the Mandala of Myth!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:57:52 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: The Olympian Conspiracy (4 of 4) Note: I named this chapter after the tradition of "Nightwail," "Nightscream," and the others Entropic plots. ========== The Olympian Conspiracy Part IV Nightwhisper Where the Immortals Talitha, Orcus, and the Hierarch Nyx reveal the secret plot of the Sphere of Entropy that will lead to the Wrath of Olympus The Immortal Talitha had carefully followed the instructions from the reigning Hierarch of Entropy. Starting from the Plane of Pyts, the principal plane of the Sphere of Entropy, Talitha traversed each deadly wormhole, braved each treacherous vortex, and entered each lethal Outer Plane that should eventually lead to this secret rendezvous with the Immortal Hierarch. But Talitha had never before set presence in this plane before, so she could not be sure if she was in the right plane or not. Talitha wondered if this was in fact the Plane of Necros, the Home Plane of Nyx. With all her Immortal faculties, Talitha could sense nothing but emptiness in the realm of absolute darkness and utter silence. Even with her supernatural powers as an Immortal thief, Talitha could not feel anything tactilely or pick up the slightest whiff of existence. Then in an instant, when her Immortal senses were at their height, Talitha was suddenly deluged with the dark negative energy of a jillion undead creatures. The sheer horror and sickening death that Talitha felt was indescribable. An Immortal of lesser status would have perished instantly. Finally, two Immortal powers let their presence be known to Talitha. The first Talitha recognized immediately by the spiraling ram horns, and she proceeded to greet him with insincere cordiality. "Milord Orcus, Black Prince of Demons, Lord of Darkness, Master of the Dead." Talitha gave an exaggerated kowtow, putting her face within kissing distance to those blood-soaked cloven hooves. After all, for all the schemes of destruction that she and the Immortal demon had worked together on, Talitha felt she had earned the familiarity with her fellow Eternal of Entropy. The presence of the second Immortal brought Talitha to upright attention and the proper norms of formality. Although the Immortal appeared as a frail old man, bald, bearded, but wizened with age, the Hierarch Nyx could not hide his true nature and awesome dark power. "Dispense with the false formalities, Talitha," commanded Nyx with a dismissive wave of a thin, veined hand. Talitha nodded carefully. "Has your agent succeeded?" Talitha, a lump in her throat, replied, "Aye, milord, my follower Brissard reports that seven Immortals from the other sphere have been seduced by the powers of the Manda-" "Do not name the artifact!" scolded the old man Nyx. "Even here, in the vast emptiness, we may be overheard." "My utmost apologies, your darkness." Orcus grunted. Nyx was expressionless, apparently lost in thought. Talitha did not know if she was forgiven, or not. "Seven, you say... Who are these Immortals?" "The four other guardians of your. the artifact. two more from Energy and one Initiate from Thought." Nyx gave a thin smile, lips hardly upturned, like the slightest sliver of silver from a crescent moon shadowed by darkness. "And what Laterran pantheon did they choose? Cathayan? Kaelic?" "Hellenian, milord Hierarch." "Ah." Nyx said, almost unimpressed, "but, of course." Talitha knew he was pleased. "The next part of our plan shall proceed." Nyx nodded to Orcus, and The Goat disappeared in an inferno of magical flames smelling of burning flesh. He then nodded to Talitha, and instructed, "Tell Masauwu to ready our new candidates, in time for. the Wrath of Olympus!" Nyx began to laugh, a deep villainous bellow that shook the darkness, the surrounding silence, the very firmament of the Outer Plane in which they existed. Talitha made her exit, as swift and shadowy as a thief in the night, like in her mortal life as a rogue in Alphatia. In her home plane of Necros, the Immortal Nyx had shifted into her more comfortable form, that of a seductive, exotic vampiress in flowing, night-black silk gowns. Talitha's reminiscences of her mortal life and the mention of the Mandala of Myth made Nyx wax nostalgic of her own origins. But the Hierarch of Entropy was so ancient and her mortal life was so far away and forgotten that recollecting remembering her memories was like viewing the life of a different person altogether. Nyx saw a mysterious oriental princess, a queen with nut-colored skin, an empress of otherworldly beauty. She was remembering names with meanings long lost to her. Hind. Cathay. Saracenia. Taprobane. Shangri-La. Sharvari. She saw an endless army of undead creatures and evil minions, and a vast nation of death, an entire empire of darkness, and a whole world of Entropy. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:58:19 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: The Olympian Conspiracy (epilogue) Hail Mystarans! This is the artifact that figures behind the Olympian Conspiracy. Kit Navarro ========== The Mandala of Myth Appearance: The Mandala of Myth is not unlike the intricate geometric designs used by the Sindhi and other oriental mystics in their rituals and meditations; but while these mortal mandalas are flat and two-dimensional, this Immortal Mandala has three dimensions, appearing as a perfect globe of a multitude of multicolored sands. It takes Immortal senses (up to the fourth dimension) to view the ephemeral patterns made by the swirling sands not just on the surface but also within the solid globe. And it takes the cosmic wisdom of the Hierarchs to understand their meaning. It is rumored among Immortals that images of the Mandala depict mythological scenes from a world very similar to Mystara, but not exactly. History: Little is known of the true origins of the Mandala of Myth, and less still has been revealed by the Immortals that vigilantly guard its secrets. It was Djaea, a Hierarch of Matter, who first discovered the existence of the Mandala of Myth in an empty, uncharted Outer Plane just outside the Dimension of Nightmares. Fearing that the swirling globe of strange images might have originated from the Nightmare Dimension, or worse the Vortex Dimension, Djaea reported it to the Council of Intrusion for investigation. Solarios (Ixion), Hierarch of Energy, determined that the object was an Immortal artifact of minor powers, but could not ascertain its creator or the source of its energies. Khoronus, Hierarch of Time, discerned that it was older than the memory of most Immortals, but could not divine its exact origin or history. Nyx, Hierarch of Entropy, sensed that the object was not inherently evil or destructive, but could not uncover of its strange, possibly alien secrets. Noumena, Hierarch of Thought, was most intrigued by the artifact and delved greatly into its mystery. He was finally able to deduce that it was merely a mystical scrying device into another dimension, most possibly the Dimension of Myth, and thus named it the Mandala of Myth. However, Noumena remained unsatisfied with so many unanswered clues about the artifact, and he strongly agreed with Djaea that the Mandala must be kept guarded from the rest of the Immortals until further study was done. The Council shrouded the artifact in a secret pocket plane, which they called the Chamber of the Mandala, and chosen to guard the Mandala were five Immortals from the ranks of new Initiates: Taroyas (Time), Bemarris (Energy), Palson (Thought), Lokena (Matter) and Brissard (Entropy). To maintain the balance of power, three Immortals at a time constantly guarded the Mandala. The Initiate Immortals were not told of the true natures and powers of the Mandala, save for the instructions never to use their Immortal senses on it. Following the events of the Wrath of Olympus, it may become apparent that the Hierarch Nyx may know more about the Mandala than she has ever revealed. It is believed that Nyx had her mortal origins in the Dimension of Myth, on the world of Laterre among the Hind people, a civilization very similar to the Sindhi of Mystara. In fact, Nyx herself may have been the creator of the Mandala when she first became an Immortal and came to the Multiverse Dimension. Powers: The true powers of the Mandala of Myth are a secret of the Council of Intrusion. The truth is that most of the Hierarchs do not know (or are too busy to know) the true extent of its powers. As the wise Noumena deducted, the Mandala of Myth does present visions of the mythological powers of the Dimension of Myth, specifically the world of Laterre, but these images can only be accessed using four dimensions of senses. Whether by the manipulations of Nyx or by the alien character of the Mandala itself (coming from the Dimension of Myth), its entropic nature and true level of power cannot be detected or divined using magic from the four other Spheres. As evidenced by the events of the Wrath of Olympus, the Mandala is not merely a device for scrying, but may be used to tap into divine or Immortal powers from the Dimension of Myth. It is likely the Mandala holds more mystical and mythological powers, yet unknown to even the Immortals. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 27 Dec 2003 to 28 Dec 2003 (#2003-299) ****************************************************************